Anthem Blue Cross Partners With Community Organizations To Help Prevent Diabetes
Initiative links at-risk members with community health and wellness programs including faith-based, multicultural and women’s groups
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., August 29, 2016 /3BL Media/ -- Working with community groups such as Black Women for Wellness and Valley Jewish Community Center as well as large, national organizations, Anthem Blue Cross has launched an ambitious diabetes prevention program to educate, treat and support its members who are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The yearlong program, provided in conjunction with diabetes prevention program integrator Solera Health, offers healthy lifestyle coaching and weekly classes to teach members the skills needed to lose weight, become more physically active and manage stress as part of their daily life.
“With 55 percent of adults in California considered diabetic or pre-diabetic, diabetes is a looming crisis in our state and our nation,” said Dr. Jacob Asher, an Anthem Blue Cross medical director. “As part of our effort to provide quality and affordable healthcare, this program will give members who are at risk for diabetes the education and power to improve their long term health. It also gives them the freedom to decide how, where and when they need to access this potentially life-altering intervention.”
Pre-diabetes is a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be considered diabetes. The Diabetes Prevention Program, led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is supported by the American Medical Association. More information can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention/index.html.
Nationally, the Diabetes Prevention Program is a partnership of public and private organizations working to reduce the growing problem of pre-diabetes and type 2 or adult onset diabetes by making it easier for at-risk individuals to participate in evidence-based, accessible and high quality lifestyle modification programs to reverse the risk of developing potentially life-threatening chronic conditions.
Through this arrangement, Solera will leverage its network of community groups as well as national and digital programs so qualified Anthem Blue Cross members can simply and easily access the type of program where they believe they will have the greatest success.
To facilitate that process, Solera has launched solera4me.com, a website that enables members to complete a risk assessment to determine whether they qualify for the program, match with a program provider based on their preferences and confirm their plan eligibility. Anthem and Solera are also working together with Anthem’s Enhanced Personal Health Care providers and Accountable Care Organization partners to identify members who may benefit from the program.
One of the most compelling aspects of the program is the access provided to a mix of traditional and non-traditional providers for chronic disease prevention. Solera currently works with CDC- recognized community organizations such as Black Women for Wellness (Black Women's Health Imperative affiliate), the Los Angeles Diabetes Alliance, Valley Jewish Community Center, A Vision of Health, Skinny Gene Project and many others to provide the program at the local level.
For Anthem Blue Cross members who prefer a virtual program or who would like to interact from the privacy of their home, members have access to a wide range of digital providers including HealthSlate, Retrofit, Blue Mesa Health and Lark. A digital diabetes prevention program addresses the needs of members who find the burden of in person meetings a barrier to engaging in efforts to improve their health. Solera has also partnered with large national organizations like Jenny Craig to provide the diabetes prevention program in person at delivery sites across the state.
“Solera Health is built around the belief that no two patients are alike, and thus there is no single approach to chronic disease prevention that can meet the diverse health, wellness and lifestyle needs of a population like Anthem Blue Cross’ membership base,” said Brenda Schmidt, CEO of Solera Health. “Through this partnership, we are able to empower California residents with the option to choose from an array of community, national and digital/virtual diabetes prevention program providers, each uniquely designed to help put them on an appropriate path towards type 2 diabetes prevention or reversal.”
This program is now covered in full as a preventive care benefit for members enrolled in Affordable Care Act (ACA) -compliant plans. Non-ACA compliant plans, such as grandfathered individual plans that were purchased on or before March 23, 2010, may cover preventative care with a member’s co-pay.
About Solera Health
Solera is a CDC National Diabetes Prevention Program integrator that connects patients, payers, and physicians with a new class of non-clinical healthcare providers, simply and securely. Solera helps consolidate highly fragmented programs and services into one integrated network, allowing health plans and medical providers to increase consumer participation while lowering associated costs. In our role, we proactively identify the "best fit" chronic disease prevention program provider based on each individual's unique needs and preferences, which has proven to have a significant impact on improved patient outcomes at a fraction of the cost of traditional medical care. For more information, please visit: www.soleranetwork.com.
About Anthem Blue Cross
Anthem Blue Cross is the trade name of Blue Cross of California. Anthem Blue Cross and Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Company are independent licensees of the Blue Cross Association. ® ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross Association. Also follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AskAnthem or www.twitter.com/AnthemPR_CA, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AskAnthem.
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is a national federation of 36 independent, community-based and locally-operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that collectively provide healthcare coverage for 107 million members members – one-in-three Americans. For more information on the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and its member companies, please visit bcbs.com. We encourage you to connect with us on Facebook, check out our videos on YouTube, follow us on Twitter and check out The BCBS Blog, for up-to-date information about BCBSA.
